Millésime, the French term for vintage, is what came to mind when I picked up this jacket at my local UES thrift store. Vintage didn't seem like the proper word to describe it, despite it being exactly that. Such an intricate piece needed a more eloquent name.

This is another one of my "no-name" finds. I always find myself wondering the origin of the piece...how many are there? Who made it? Was it part of a budding designer's collection? Or perhaps the work of a young lady who couldn't afford to keep up with current fashion and needed to take matters in her own hands?

Clothes tell a story. And even though I may never know the story behind this jacket, it's fun to make your own interpretation. Sometimes uncertainty is more exciting than knowing every single detail...it's something that I've recently come to terms with.

For the cake, I wanted the texture of the leopard print to shine through. I embossed the cake with a design and then hand painted it, wiping excess off to give an antiqued look. I then hand cut a pocket and let it dry over a cake pan, then attached it using royal icing as glue. The pockets are so wonderful in this jacket that I wanted it to be front and center on the cake!

How ever old this jacket is and whatever its origins are, I will never know. Just like I will never know what's in store for a day in NYC...but at least I know when I put this jacket on, uncertainty will look fabulous!